Tuesday, 25 December 2012

Muslim women are the British economy's major
untapped resources, as the latest census reveals a rise in this
country's Muslim population, it's time to take notice

A recent report published
by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community revealed
that Muslim women are encountering discrimination at work from the
application stage, through interviews, at recruitment agencies, and in
the workplace itself. Some individuals were even compromising their
religious beliefs by removing their hijabs and changing their names to
English sounding names in order to obtain employment.

We
need to question why this is happening. Should one really have to
choose between religion and a career? Should employers be more
accommodating to individuals wishing to practice their religion in the
workplace?

As a Muslim woman, I didn’t think I encountered any
discrimination in landing a job; I faced the usual hurdles any other
graduate would have faced. It was only once employed that I realised how
difficult the workplace can be for an individual wanting to practice
their religion.

Muslims are required to pray five times a day and
finding the time and space to do this was my first challenge. In my
first full-time job after graduating, I used my thirty-minute lunch
break to head to a nearby mosque, while in another, I used a quiet spot
in the local library. There were numerous occasions when prayer times
were too close together for me to slip away, I couldn’t get time off to
pray or I was in a meeting. The thought of telling clients ‘I need to go
to pray’ was very daunting.

However the biggest obstacles were
not practical, but social. There are certain topics of office
conversation around sex, alcohol and relationships that Muslim women
find themselves unable to participate in and as Islam requires modest
dressing, in offices were females are expected to dress in a particular
way, Muslim women are sometimes frowned upon for their choice of
clothing, in particular, the hijab.

An innocent invite for an
after-work drink can cause a major quandary for a practising Muslim.
These social gatherings in pubs provide opportunities for networking and
are often where managers seek out potential candidates for promotions.
In one role, I made my religious beliefs very clear on my CV and during
my interview, however, my welcome to the team was an outing ‘for a
drink.’ I can’t even recall the amount of times I turned down an invite
to join colleagues at the pub for a drink.

Even after clearly
highlighting my religious stance on alcohol, my colleagues saw no issue
with the occasional afternoon beers in the office and no one took notice
of how uncomfortable this made me feel. This lack of respect for
religious beliefs was what ultimately prompted me to leave the private
sector and find work in an Islamic faith-based institution.

I’m
not alone in this. Plenty of Muslims, both males and females, seek
alternative employment because of similar problems. A colleague of mine
left his career at a leading news agency because of the lack of
engagement with Islam and Muslims, while one of my friends insisted on
working from home to avoid these stresses. Another friend of mine
refused to declare she was Muslim for fear of being stereotyped.

While
faith-based organisations and public sector institutions are more
likely to be accommodating towards religious practices, many employers
still see religion as a nuisance and are unwilling to seek compromise.
It doesn’t help that some private sector institutions are now hiring based on ‘cultural fit’ rather than qualifications.
When religion is such a taboo subject in some workplaces, it’s
understandable why some Muslim women would choose to remain unemployed
rather than speak up and ask for facilities, such as prayer rooms.

I’m not suggesting that employers must revamp their institutions for their Muslim employees. But asthe latest census tells us that Muslims now make up 4.8 per cent of the population and with this figure expected to rise
every year, we need to start opening up discussion. Employers need to
learn more about the religious beliefs of their employees, whether
Muslim or non-Muslim, and be more flexible towards faith-based holidays
and think more creatively about inclusive social outings. Simple
initiatives like these can go a long way in creating a more productive
and happier workforce.

If my previous employers had been more
accommodating towards my religious beliefs, I would have stuck around to
see where my career in those organisations might lead. I have plenty of
Muslim friends who are educated and talented but are holding back on
seeking out opportunities in certain sectors for fear of compromising
their religious beliefs. It shouldn’t have to be this way. If employers
could be more engaging, I’m sure more people would be able to see the
potential of the hundreds of educated, career-driven Muslim women out
there.

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in South Africa

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About Me

Journalist, writer and researcher specialising in issues concerning Muslim communities, community cohesion, radicalisation and counter-terrorism policy
Contributes to the Huffington Post UK and the Independent and hosts a blog on combating extremism